


Your Decisions Matter Here

by TheSilverMoonTavern



Series: TheSilverMoonTavern's Menu Selections [7]
Category: Creative Work - Fandom, None - Fandom, Original Work
Genre: Creative Work, Fictional, Fun, Gen, Informational, Lore - Freeform, Mysterious, Original work - Freeform, Relationships may be later, Somewhat, Suspicious, Thrilling, who knows - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-25
Updated: 2019-08-03
Packaged: 2020-05-19 18:04:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19361893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSilverMoonTavern/pseuds/TheSilverMoonTavern
Summary: A little something to help you understand who we are and how our fine establishment operates. (With actual story.)





	1. A Flicker Down the Alley

**(C/n) = Code name**

Rain lightly pelted your car as you drove to your apartment complex from work. It was almost eleven at night. You took an extra shift that day at work. You didn't really need the money, at least not at the moment, but you had nothing waiting for you at home so you decided some extra cash on hand would be nice. 

You parked your car in a parking lot not too far from your apartment. You grabbed your umbrella from the back seat as you left the comfort and warmth of your vehicle. A short walk later you were in the lobby on the building you called home. The kind, old lady behind the desk greeted you quietly as you walked towards the elevator. You returned her kindness with a tired greeting of your own as the doors to the elevator shut. You pressed the third floor button on the elevator, making the button glow to life. It took a few seconds before the elevator eventually jerked to life. 

A soft, rumbling ride later, you stepped out of the elevator and walked a few doors down to your apartment, 318. You dug in your pocket and pulled out your door key. Once inside you set your umbrella and other belongings down then headed into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water from the fridge. Cold bottle in hand, you walked into your small living room to watch TV. Plopping into your favorite, (and only,) chair, you then flipped to your favorite channel. While mindlessly watching the flashing images you eyed the clock on the receiver. It read 11:17 p.m.. You work again tomorrow, but you have the afternoon shift, so you'll be fine if you just sleep in a little bit later in the morning. Two hours later you turn off the TV, do your nightly routine, then head off to bed. 

You toss and turn, unable to sleep. Your body is tired but your mind is racing. Groaning, you sit up and look at the clock on your dresser. 2:09 a.m., great. Sighing in defeat you slip on some shoes and a jacket then head back down to the lobby. Perhaps a walk could do you some good. Once in the lobby you noticed the old lady was gone, probably getting some rest. Lucky her. 

You walk back out into the night. It's no longer raining, but the smell of rain is still thick in the air. You pick a random direction and just start walking, letting your thoughts fight and toil inside of your head willingly, in an attempt to finally get them to leave you alone. Your eyes stared down at your feet as you mindlessly walked. It was dark and empty, only the homeless were outside and there were only a handful of street lights that continued working. 

A sudden flash to your right caught your attention. A silver light quickly pierced your vision before disappearing, it was even more noticeable against the orange light of the streets lights. Was it a camera? Who would be taking pictures, in the middle of the night, with a good camera like that to make such a big flash? A good handful would try to rob the person to pawn the high quality camera. 

You looked down the alleyway the flash came. In reality, it was not a camera that made the flash. Just a simple, rather bright light turning on. Yet it was strong and bold enough to pierce through the muck of the alleyway and enhance you. The light seemed almost pure compared to the orange dingy lights of the street and the pollution and graffiti of the alleyway. Hesitantly you walked to the door that was below the light. There was another light fixture to the right of the door. A waxing crescent moon made out of those little light poles that kind of look bendable. You grabbed the door handle to see it was surprisingly unlocked. Other than that light moon, there was no indication what this place was. Hesitantly, you walked inside. 

In all honestly you expected some kind of drug making factory or an illegal fighting ring; but it wasn't. It actually looked like a bar. The whole place seemed to be monochrome with silver light fixtures. Some booths and tables had colorful lights on them. You could see the bar straight ahead from where you were standing, it looked like there were more silver lights under the counter. Servants walked by with lit up trays revealing colorful drinks as they walked by. A smooth jazz band could be heard playing somewhere you couldn't see at the moment. The place wasn't packed, but it sure had quite a few customers for being hidden. What is this place? 

You heard a cough to your left, one to clearly meant to grab your attention. You see a man behind a black podium that has a smaller moon just like the one outside on the front. The man is wearing a white sleeved shirt, black vest, and a midnight blue tie. His skin was lightly tanned. His eyes are a rich brown with slicked back black hair. His name tag reads, 'Arrow'. 

"I assume you are new here," he says, flashing you a small but genuine smile. You nod back, hesitantly. "Then welcome to The Silver Moon Tavern. Would you like a seat at a booth, table, or the bar?" 

You take a step back shaking your head. "Oh, no," you answer, "I'm not here for a drink, I'm just lost." 

Arrow laughs. "Nonsense. Everyone that walks through these doors walks in here with a purpose. A seat at the bar, then." 

He guides you to the bar, that was only a few steps away, and hands you a white menu with black leather trim and fancy black writing. He tells you to sit wherever you please as he goes back to the podium. A person is working behind the bar, currently scrubbing down a few glasses. They have red-brown hair that barely passes their shoulders. They wore a black tuxedo uniform with a red trim. What was baffling was the large, white ram head on the backside of the tux, that was currently staring at you as the wearer's back was turned to you. 

The person turns around to you carrying over a few clean glasses. Their skin was pale, pale like they never saw the sun. They also looked a little too skinny, even with the tux on. They had blue eyes that looked up at you. "What can I get you?" They asked. It was difficult to tell the sex of the person, maybe male because of the suit. But their hair was long for a man... 

"Um, no, no thank you." You said. The person looked at you shocked, clearly a little taken back. 

"Pardon?" They asked. 

"I'm not in the mood to drink." You said simply. This just made them more confused. 

"What? But if you found us then you should know that--... How did you find us?" They asked, almost sounding a bit suspicious of you. They put their elbows on the bar to look you in the eyes. 

"I-I... The bright light outside caught my attention and I was curious." You answered. 

The bartender looked down, a little distraught. "Odd." They answer. "Everyone that walks in here knows what they're getting into. But you don't. Well... I guess there's a first for everything. Allow me to break everything down, kid. Get comfortable." The bartender grabbed a glass and filled it with water and ice for you. 

"First: introductions. The name's Ram, and you are?" They asked. Guess that solves the giant ram head on the back of the tux. 

"(Y/n)." You answer. Ram chuckles. 

"Listen, kid, we don't use our real names here, and I'll explain why in a bit. So, I need you to pick a code name that begins with the first letter of your first name. It could be an inanimate object or a different name, or even food for all I care,  just anything that's not your real name or an animal. The bosses are only allowed to use animal names. So yes, I am a boss. But never mind that for now. So, what's gonna be your code name?" Ram asks pulling out a notepad and a fountain pen. 

"Oh, I... U-Umm..." You stutter, being put on the spot. "C-Can I give you one later?" You ask. 

Ram smiles. "Yes, but in the mean time, we ask you go by Unknown and not use your real name." They put the notepad and pen away. "Now, as you've probably heard, you're in a place called The Silver Moon Tavern. We are a magical tavern that occasionally moves from place-to-place. We serve special drinks that are catered to you. You see, our drinks cause our patrons to hallucinate. Tough day at work and you want to dream you're at a beach surrounded by half-naked woman? Come on over and we'll whip that up for you. Each drink provides a different kind of experience, it's the starting base, really." 

You stared at Ram, baffled. Is this person high? There's no way they can do that. Nothing can manipulate the brain to what the person wants it to be, that's impossible. And possibly illegal. Ram looks at your doubting face, and laughs. 

"You don't believe me, do you? Alright. Here, I'll show you." Ram pulls out a shot glass and fills it with a gold kind of liquor. They add some extra clear colored liquid and few spices then hands it to you. "Drink it. It'll take you to that beach I was talking about." 

You looked at the drink, then at Ram. "There's no way I'm drinking this." You answer. 

"What? Why? Do you think It's going to poison you, kill you?" They asked. 

"Yes." 

"Well, I'd show you by drinking it myself. But I can't drink on the job and I need to be available if more patrons come in. So please, just drink it and we can continue on with the tavern." 

You looked at the drink again. You picked it up and smelled it. Smelled like honey with a tiny zing to it. You sighed, and downed the shot... Nothing happened. 

"I thought you said--" You started, but Ram was gone. Wait, the whole tavern is gone. All the monochrome walls are gone. 

The sun shines high above you in the cloudless blue sky. You rest in a hammock on a beach looking out over the blue ocean, an open coconut in hand. Some hula dancers dance nearby. Close enough to see the only thing they're wearing is a grass skirt, a coconut bra, and a traditional flower necklace. You took a sip from the coconut. It was real. You get out of the hammock and feel the sand on your feet. It's real. How is all of this real? You look at the sun and feel it's warmth on your skin. How? 

All too quickly the sun fades, and you're looking up at a black ceiling. You look around, you're back at the tavern. You look at Ram and they chuckle. "See?" They ask. "I didn't lie to you." 

"How did you do that?" You ask, a little frantic and confused. Ram chuckles again. 

"It's a secret I can't tell you. But we have more story to tell anyway." Ram took your empty shot glass and cleaned it with a rag. "You just tasted some of our mead, by the way. Moving on. Now that you know who I am, you know who we are, and you know what we do. Let's talk about the secret business. We use code names and move around because some people think we use drugs in our drinks. Or that we're not even a tavern but an illegal fighting ring, or meth lab, or what have you. Even though we don't use drugs in anything we do and kick out patrons looking for a fight. It's all a big misunderstanding. So we move around to avoid detection and use code names to protect ourselves and our patrons. I believe that's everything you need to know." Ram walks to the sink and drops in the glass before returning to you. "Any questions?" You shake your head. This is a lot to take in at once. You need to think on this. 

Ram asks you if you'd like a drink now that you've had a taste, but you decline, not tonight. You try to give Ram a five dollar bill to pay for your shot and the water you still haven't touched, but they turn you down. 

"I forgot to tell you. All of our drinks are free of charge. However, we do take tips." Ram pulled out a clear glass vase that looked like a dragon's head. There were only a few pennies inside. You drop in the bill and Ram thanks you. 

"It looks like you're about to go," Ram says. "You're welcome back anytime. Just known we're not open during daylight hours. And I still need to know your code name if you wish to return." 

You climb out of the bar stool and think for a moment. "(C/n)." You tell Ram. They smile and write it on the notepad. 

"I'll have final documentation of it, if and when you return." Ram says. "Remember, we move around a lot, so we won't be here forever. You can only find these special drinks here. But come back anyway, even if you don't want a drink. You're fun to talk to. Oh, and do us all a favor and keep this place a secret. We wouldn't want the wrong people hearing about us. And if you did... Well, let's just say one of the bosses will make sure that you would feel all of our gathered pain." Ram says. You nod, your head fuzzy from everything that has happened. Arrow says goodbye to you as you walk out the door. 

You walk a few steps away but run back. The silver light and moon is still there. So, this all wasn't a dream. It's all real. You took a deep breath and walked back home. You checked your phone, it was 4:42 in the morning. You were out longer than anticipated. You picked up your walk to a jog. Now you definitely were not going to fall asleep with all this tavern crap. Maybe you should return tomorrow, in actual clothes instead of pajamas and a jacket. Perhaps you could meet the bosses? Well, Ram is a boss, but surely the others know different things. There's still so much left unknown and some possible questions unanswered. The tavern just couldn't help but tug at your curiosity, which would pull you back into the monochrome walls. 


	2. Daylight Curiosities

Sunlight peaked through the outer edges of your curtains. You slowly opened your eyes and checked your clock. Eight in the morning, sharp. You weren't planning on getting up this early. You knew running on three hours of sleep with work later was a horrible combination. But no matter how hard you tried, you just couldn't fall back asleep. Ten minutes of frustration later you got out of bed. While you were eating your cereal for breakfast and watching the news, you remembered something. The tavern. You almost choked on your cereal at the remembrance. Was it still there? 

You quickly shoveled the rest of your cereal into your mouth and got dressed. Brushing your teeth and hair could wait for now. You put on some shoes and left your apartment running down the stairs, not having the patience for the incredibly slow elevator. You stepped outside and retraced your steps. It all felt awkward now that the sun was out and the streets were more crowded. 

You eventually found the alleyway after some back tracking. You ran in until you spotted the door. The light above it was off and the light moon that was once beside it was gone. Not only that, but the door was locked and sealed off with police tape. So... was it all a dream? Ram did say they don't work during daylight hours and needs to be kept a secret. Are they just hiding and waiting for night? You'd have to find out after work tonight. 

But your search didn't have to end here. What was something a tavern always needed? Liquor. There was a liquor store not too far from where you were standing. You actually went home and got your car. Driving was faster than walking, and would be easier transportation if you thought of other places to check. You found the liquor store simply called 'Spirits'. You walked inside. You looked up and down all the isles of creative bottles and colorful cans, but you didn't see anyone from last night. But then again, you'd only be able to recognize two people that could be literally anywhere. This was like trying to find a special rock on a snowy mountain side. 

An employee came to you and asked if you needed assistance with anything, probably because you were just mindlessly scanning the isles. You told him the description of Ram and Arrow to see if he had seen them come in. But if they had come in he had not seen them. You give him thanks and leave the store. Well, that was a bust. What else could they need? Cleaning supplies. They are an establishment to the public and needed to keep the tavern clean. But you could buy cleaning stuff literally anywhere. You couldn't exactly hit up every store close to where you live before work. New plan. 

A spice shop? Ram did use some special seasonings in your drink last night. But there wasn't a spice shop anywhere nearby. There may have even been a chance that they grew all the spices they needed. What else might a tavern need? Food? While that may be true, you didn't see a single customer last night eating; and you didn't even look at the menu to see if there was anything edible. 

You sighed in your car, defeated. It must have been a dream. There's no way 'last night' could have happened anyway. You were just wasting precious time and energy. You drove a little ways to a gas station. Your car needed some fuel now. After filling up the tank, you headed into the small convenient store. You bought a few candy bars and your favorite energy drink. Perhaps some sugar would pull you out of your slum. 

You paid for your purchases and walked back to your car, driving home. Once back in your small apartment. When you got home you did a little research while digging into your drink and candy. After typing 'silver moon tavern' into Google, you didn't expect to see what you found.  

"The Silver Moon Tavern: Club or Black Market?" "A possible fighting ring under the alias 'The Silver Moon Tavern' might be found in the city." "Drugs and Manipulation: Everything You Need to Know About The Silver Moon Tavern." "When police barged into a door in an alleyway that might have been a location for the mythical Silver Moon Tavern, they were surprised with what they saw. The room was abandoned and looks like no one had been in there for at least a year." "Fact or Fiction? The Silver Moon Tavern." "Your Neighbor Might be Apart of The Silver Moon Tavern, and You Don't Even Know It." 

The headlines, blogs, and journal entries all jumping out at you. All of them made the tavern look like it was dangerous and evil. No wonder Ram said they had to move around. So, it is real. Ram and Arrow are real. That drink you had was real. But then how was the location sealed off? Did they already move again? 

Your thoughts were interrupted by your growling stomach. It was one in the afternoon, you had work in four hours. But more importantly, it was lunch time. Craving pizza, you left your apartment once again. There was this amazing pizza joint right across the street. When you entered the cozy restaurant, the smell of pizza quickly greeted you with a warm welcome. This place could honestly feel like home on a rough week. There was someone in front of you placing in their order, so you got behind them to wait your turn. 

You just couldn't help but notice this person was male, slightly taller than you, with black hair, and tan skin. Your heart beat picked up even though you knew it was too good to be true, so you just ignored that thought and focused on getting a slice of your favorite pizza. The person grabbed their pizza and walked off to a table. He had recognizable brown eyes. No way... It couldn't be... 

"Hey (Y/n), are you just going to stare at that man or are you going to order some pizza?" You heard a gruff voice behind you. You knew who it was. Joe, the owner of this joint. 

"You always know I'm here for your fresh pizza, Joe." You told him, handing him some money. He already knew what you wanted, you were a usual. 

"I know, what else in this dump could attract ya here? Ya take a seat wherever ya like, I'll get Dwight to get it to ya." You didn't know who Dwight was, more than likely a new employee.  

You walked over to the table the man was at. He was eating his pizza and reading a book, you couldn't see the cover of it. 

"Excuse me, sir?" You asked, tapping on his shoulder. 

"Hmm?" He said with a mouthful of pizza. He looked up at you then almost choked on his pizza. "(Y-Y/n)?" He asked. 

"How did you know?" 

"Take a seat." He motioned to the chair across from him. You sat down. 

"Funny seeing you here." You said awkwardly, even though you've spent a handful of hours looking for him. 

"I'd say, It's rare I see customers out in the open. Do you live here?" He asked. 

You nodded, but wouldn't tell him where. Not yet, at least. "So, Arrow--" 

"Shh!" He shushed you fiercely, but quietly so no one else would hear and get drawn to the attention. "We do not use code names outside of the tavern. My name is Ash, Arrow is a server at the tavern." 

You nodded quietly. At least you know now. Ash calmed down. I guess it would be suspicious hearing people call other people by code names with all the tavern drama online. "So, do you live around here?" You asked, back to being awkward. 

"No, I don't have a permanent home. I'm staying in the apartment building across the street until we pack up and move again. I guess the tavern is my home. I go wherever it goes." 

You almost told him you lived there as well, but you held your tongue. At least now with Arr- Ash, you could get some answers to some of your questions. 

"Do you mind if I ask you some questions?" You asked. 

"Well you're already asking questions, so I don't see why not." 

"Why is--" 

"S-Sorry to interrupt, but h-here's your pizza." A nervous man with glasses said as he placed your pizza in front of you. His eyes were dark brown and he had fluffy looking black hair. He quickly left. That must have been Dwight. 

Ash looked down at your pizza, and smiled softly. "You have good tastes in pizza. But, what was your question?" 

"Why is R- the bartender the only visible boss? It sounded like there were several." You took your pizza and took a nice bite of it. It was very hot, fresh from the oven, but good pizza deserved mouth burns. 

"That's because they're all upstairs, hidden by some hidden stairs God knows where, and they all stay upstairs. If the bartender wasn't the bartender, she'd be up there as well. But she didn't like all the politics of being in the ring, so she became the bartender while holding the position and power of a boss." 

So, Ram is a female. You didn't want to make a comment as that might make you sound rude, and it sounded like Ram and Arrow were on good terms. So you just acted like you always knew. 

"How many bosses are there? What are their names? What do they do?" 

Ash chuckled. "I expected you to be curious, but I wasn't thinking you were this curious. So first, five, counting the bartender. Second, Q, U, R, who is the bartender's boss name. S and T. All bosses are associated with the first letter of their first name. Yes, it is in alphabetical order, they did that on purpose. If you ever meet them you must call them by the letters, only they can call each other by their code names. Minus R, who as we know, kind of bent the rules a little bit by being the bartender. But if she was with the other bosses, you must call her R or suffer consequences. Just so you are aware. Then lastly, Q is the treasurer. U determines the best time and place to move to, they also take care of what the tavern calls squaglers. Basically anyone that hurts or betrays the tavern in anyway. You already know R. S is the decorator and also makes sure all supplies are available whenever needed. And T takes care of, and hires, the band and servers." 

"So the whole tavern was decorated by S?" You asked, halfway through with your pizza. 

"No. All the bosses need to agree on a decision before it is final. Three over two if everyone is being indecisive. Everyone wanted the tavern to be black with silver features. S took care of what the lights would look like, picked out all the glasses we would use, light fixtures such as special chandeliers, et cetera." 

"Why did R leave the ring of bosses?" You asked with a mouthful of pizza. Ash was honestly just enjoying your face's reactions as he told you everything. 

"First, you're gonna need to know some history. All five bosses made the tavern, thus why they are the bosses. They only had themselves in the beginning. And what does a tavern need? A bartender. That's where R came in. When they finally got some reputation going, they were able to hire servers and a different bartender, me. When I was hired as bartender, R went back to be with the bosses. A couple months later R told me to become a server and she would take over the bar. As she was a boss I couldn't say no. I was mad at first, but hearing her stories of all the arguments and politics I see why she wanted her old position back. So she is still a boss, she just doesn't use her power like the others do. She prefers to be treated like a server with her code name. However, she is still a boss and still has to associate with the others." He paused for a moment and took a long drink from his soda. "Pardon me. Like I was saying, she's still a boss. So whenever the tavern is about to move, all the bosses, including R, meet up at a very secret location and discuss a plethora of things and plans. It's not unusual for that meeting to last for the entire day." 

You nodded, speechless. This has been going on a lot longer than you thought. It was certainly more complicated with a richer history than you thought. 

"Now, is that all your questions?" Ash asked, looking like he was ready to leave any minute. 

"Can I meet the other bosses?" You blurted out. 

"What!?" Ash whisper yelled. "No one meets the bosses minus the bartender. No one knows what they look like or what they wear minus the bartender, but she doesn't say anything. No one, minus the bartender, knows where the secret stair case to get to them is. I can't answer this question. If you want to be disappointed, talk to R about it." Ash took a look at his watch and got up. "It's been great chatting with you, even though I did most of the talking. But hopefully things aren't so black and silver for you now. A little pun there. Hopefully I'll see you back tonight. See you." With that, Ash picked up his trash, threw it away, then left. 

Oh yes, you would definitely be back. If your job didn't work you to the bone today. You got up and thew your own trash away. Nothing left to do now but watch TV until it was time to leave for your job.  

"Hey (Y/n)," Joe called, "who's your little friend?" 

"Just that, just a friend." Then you left. Life just got so strange in less than twenty-four hours. Almost feels like life performed a one-eighty. At least you have something to look forward to now in your rather bland, boring, average life. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Anyone catch the DbD reference?"


	3. Pocketing Fate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. 6 Kudos, 1 bookmark, and 47 hits at the time of this writing. Thank you. I know that seems so small, especially when compared to our other works, but we truly love this book. So it makes us happy to see that those that do read it enjoy it. So thank you all of you, and those who are to come. Now please, enjoy.

For the love of God humanity can sure screw each other. Work was extra rough today since you guys were behind your quota. Your head felt as if it were full of fog as your fingers and wrists ached with tension. It's a miracle you could keep your steering wheel straight as you drove home. Thankfully, you hadn't forgot about the tavern. You promised Arrow, or Ash, that you'd show up tonight. But you really didn't feel like it. You felt so sore and tired, you just wanted sleep. Plus, you had the morning shift tomorrow, there was no time for partying. 

You were getting close to your apartment when an all too familiar flash of silver caught your attention. Catching your attention by temporarily blinding you. You slammed on the brakes in surprise, then rubbed your tired eyes, slowly bringing back your vision. You looked to your left where the flash came from. The silver light of the door was turned on. Your heart rate started to speed up, ignoring your exhaustion. You parked your car on the curb and walked towards the light. 

When you reached the door, you noticed the silver neon moon was back. The police tape on the door had been removed and the door was unlocked. You walked back inside the monochrome walls, the silver lighting kindly greeting your tired eyes from the disgusting orange light outside. Once again, you were greeted at the front by Ash-- er, Arrow. This was going to take some getting used to. He was wearing his uniform. 

"Ah, what a pleasure to see you again, (C/n)." Arrow said, kindly bowing to you. "Ram made this for you. She told me to hand it to you the next time you arrived." He dug in his pocket and pulled out a black plastic card. The front had your code name while the back had a picture of what your code name was. (Example: Arrow has a card just like yours. The front says his name, Arrow, while the back shows an archer's arrow. If your decided code name does not have a picture to it, then the back is blank.) 

"Umm, thanks." You muttered, turning the card over in your hand. Arrow smiled. 

"My pleasure. Now, booth, table, or bar?" 

"Bar, please." You told him, putting the card in your pocket. 

"I had a feeling you were going to say that. Well, you know where it is. Oh! By the way, the next time you arrive you must have that card on you to get in or you will be kicked out. Security reasons, I promise." You gave him a small smile and nod before heading back to the bar. 

When you got there, taking the same seat as you did last night, you noticed a large, burly man with a scowl a few stools away from you. Ram was working away behind the counter, seeming to make a bloody marry. Her hands were quick and coordinated, clearly she's been doing this for a long time. The bloody marry received a few limes before being handed to the man. He muttered a small and gruff 'thanks' before quickly sipping down on his drink. 

"I knew you'd be back." Ram said walking over to you, handing you a menu. 

"You say that like I wouldn't be back after what the Hell happened last night." That made Ram snicker in amusement. 

This time you took your time and looked over the menu. There were several drinks, but no food. Not even chips, pretzels, or peanuts. They really weren't doing this for money, but to just give people a break. That made you wonder... 

"You look confused." Ram pointed out as she studied your face. 

"I'd like to order something." You said, putting the menu down. This shocked Ram. 

"Wow. I didn't think one little shot would really persuade you all that much. Seems I was wrong, but I'm not complaining. So, what can I get for ya?" 

You took one final glance at the menu, double checking yourself on your decision. "A small glass of mead." You say. 

"I had a feeling you were going to ask for that. Now, what do you want to see?" Oh, you forgot about that part. 

You quickly racked your brain for the closest thing that interested you at the moment, as to not leave Ram waiting and make you look like a fool. Thankfully, you did have something. Your conversation with Arrow earlier. 

"This request might sound a little weird." You warn Ram. 

"Darling, I've been doing this for years. I create hallucinatory drinks to all kinds of people. I see some weird stuff, I don't think your request will make it into my Weird Top Ten." 

"I want to see what the other bosses are like. You know, without meeting them." Ram looks at you with a stern look with a dash of disappointment. 

"Request denied." She says, putting up her elbows on the counter and holding her head, like she did last night. 

"Why?" You ask. 

"Look, (C/n), you're not the first to ask me this. But you are apart of the few. I don't do that because they don't want to be seen, so why should I spew their secret appearance without their consent? Plus, it's kind of like stalking. How would you like it if I gave a drink to somebody that asked to hallucinate about you? You don't know what they'd be thinking about, what they'd ask from your hallucinatory form." 

You guess that makes sense. It certainly makes a moral point. But yet, you were still curious. You feel like you got closer to this mystery than the others before you that were curious as well. 

"That makes sense, I guess." You say, somewhat voicing your thoughts. "But please, Ram? You trusted me with the tavern's secrets, can I know one more?" 

Ram gave you an irritated look, clearly not liking your persistence. You wondered what would happen if you agitated her too much, she does control almost all the operations in the tavern that you're allowed to see, as far as you're concerned. Ram lets out an irritated sigh. She rolls up her left arm sleeve to reveal a blue watch hidden under her uniform. She sighs again, and walks over to a phone on that wall. It looks rather outdated. 

She hits a button and puts the phone to her ear. Someone on the other end of the line picked up as you saw Ram's mouth began to move. But no matter how hard you strained your hearing, you couldn't hear her quiet mutters over the jazz band and quiet chatter of the other patrons. Plus, Ram turned her back to you when she saw you staring. Great, now that freaky ram on her uniform is staring at you again. 

You waited patiently as you waited for Ram to get off the phone. You examined the silver lighting, the beautifully, glass crafted chandeliers. The lamps on the walls, some having unique designs and animal heads for the cover glass. A few minutes after examining the small details of the bar, you got bored. You turned away from the bar, having your back against the counter, and got off your stool. A few steps away to your left was the jazz band you've been hearing. They were in a corner of the new room a few steps away from the bar. Following the theme, the musicians were wearing black and white tuxedos and dresses. You listened to them play their slow songs. The sound was enhancing. 

That was, until someone coughed behind you, a cough to clearly get your attention. You turn around and see Ram back at the bar with her elbows on the counter. That must be a bad habit, or something. You walk back taking your spot at the bar. Ram bends down and pulls out a black box with silver features. The box seemed to be made almost out of obsidian from the way you can see your reflection so clearly in it. Silver, elegant vines rested on the sides and top of the box. A silver moon crescent rested on the top of the box. All the corners were decorated with elegant silver tips. 

Ram dug her hand into the collar of her tux, revealing a very dark blue dragon skeleton key that she was secretly wearing as a necklace this whole time. Do dragons have some symbolism in this tavern? She stuck the key into the lock of the box, that was facing away from you, and opened the gorgeous compartment. You couldn't see what was inside. Ram grabbed something then locked the box back up before putting it back where it was. You were a little surprised you didn't see any dust on it. 

"Well, it's your lucky day today, (C/n). Honestly, I never thought something like this would ever happen. You really are lucky. Here, hold onto this." She hands you a surprisingly large platinum coin. It takes up a good portion of the center of your palm. Also, it'd kind of thick and heavy. And unlike nearly every decorated thing in this tavern, it has no decoration on it. It's surprisingly plain. 

Perhaps so if someone was caught with this strange coin, the police couldn't trace it back to the tavern. I mean, it was made of platinum, this heavy coin had to sell for a hefty chunk of cash. 

"Here are the rules of this coin." Ram said, her voice the sternest you've heard it. "You must have it on your person at all times, even if you shower. Trust me, you'll understand why later. You are not to tell anyone about this coin. If we find out you have shown or spoken about this coin there will be incredible consequences. Obviously, do not lose it. Don't worry about breaking it, I'm sure you won't be able to. Lastly, and obviously, do not try selling it. I don't want that and you don't want that. It'd be a shame for you to become a squagler." 

"So, I essentially just hold onto this until you tell me not to?" 

"Yes, and..." Ram sighs, rubbing her temples. "Just... Just stay there for a moment." Ram grabs a small glass from behind her and fills it with the same golden liquor from last night. More clear liquid goes into it along with very colorful spices and seasonings. She stirs everything together and hands you the glass. "Your requested drink." 

You gently took the glass from her. You didn't feel like asking her anymore questions tonight, she seemed stressed out and irritated in your presence tonight. But then again, you probably would be as well if you were in her position. A waiter you haven't met came by and dropped off a note to Ram. You weren't able to see his name tag. Ram looked over the note before throwing it in a bin. She then started working on several drinks at once; an order. 

You looked back down at your drink. It was so gold, so pure. You smelled it, and was greeted with the familiar honey zing, along with new, almost fruity smells. You look back over at the man from earlier. He looked dazed, clearly hallucinating. His drink was empty, but Ram hadn't gotten to it yet. You look back down at your own drink, taking in the last look of it's golden beauty, and took a sip. It was like drinking a fruity drink with honey. It was incredibly tasty. Before you took another sip you remembered the coin you've been holding this whole time. You quickly pocketed it, making sure to keep it hidden, then finished your drink. 

Your body began to feel warm as your vision blurred. You felt like you should have been scared, but you weren't. More correctly, you emotionally could not feel fear. You could only feel the comfortable numbness consume your being. Your vision was completely black now, it felt like you were floating. 

"Sales are slightly declining. It's not exactly troublesome, but we need to get Ram to be a bit more pushy about tips." You heard a male voice in the distance. Then a rectangle of light appeared far away from you. 

Using your jelly limbs, you pitifully swam through the murky darkness, tingling all the way. You flipped a few times, but you were able to make it to the doorway. There were four people inside this rather large room, their faces were incredibly blurred. You stepped inside, only to find out you still floated around the area. Everything you touched, you phased through. Tables, chairs, water glasses, people, everything. Except the floor, walls, and ceiling. 

"We could just do an art auction. I can get in line with my old contacts." A new, sort of slimy voice said. They were incredibly slim, with a bright yellow suit with black stripes, matched with a black undershirt and gold tie. He wore elegant gloves and had a cane with a gold lizard for the handle. His hair was nicely kept in a black top hat and a yellow stripe. He wore a ring on his right middle finger, it was made out of jade and glass. 

"That's too dangerous, Salamander. We're in a bit of a pinch at the moment." The voice from before said. This one was rather chubby with brown afro hair. He wore a very nice green suit with a white undershirt. He wore a black bow tie with a gold dollar sign medallion, studded with diamonds. You could also see a few expensive rings on his fingers. 

"Then we better plan our next move." Said a feminine voice. Her hair was long, black, and flowing. She wore purple high heels and a long, red, silk dress. She was polishing a pistol. 

"You always say things like that, Urchin." That last voice said. This man was not nearly as neatly dressed as his comrades. He wore an open brown leather jacket with a white dress shirt underneath. Matched with some nice boots and simple blue jeans. 

"It is the only way to protect the tavern and hide from the squaglers." The woman, Urchin, countered. The casually dressed man just sighed. 

"And things were finally starting to look up..." He murmured under his breath. "Quetzal, could we perhaps let the band rake in a few extra dollars?" He asked more loudly. 

The man that dressed like a snobby millionaire sighed. "Possibly. I don't see how though. Maybe we could feature a certain band, and patrons will pay a small fee to come in and listen." Quetzal suggested. 

"That means advertising, and advertising means exposure." Urchin said. "I say we let Salamander make small glass figurines and jewelry for patrons to buy until we can think of something better. We shall plan a meeting later. Who is in agreement?" Everyone raised their hands. The man in the yellow suit, Salamander, seemed very excited. "I will call Ram shortly, and then we'll go from there." Everyone nodded in agreement. 

"Tortoise, could you help me pick someone out that can make sure the art will be displayed to best catch an individual's interest? While also keeping it clean and safe, of course." Salamander asked the casually dressed man. 

"Of course, leave that part to me." Tortoise answered. Everyone started to go their separate ways after that. 

Quetzal went into another room, Salamander pulled out a notepad and pen, probably jutting down ideas for art, Urchin went to a phone on one of the walls, and Tortoise pulled out a laptop that was in a leather satchel at his feet. The world then began to fade. Everything slowly turned to black and any sounds became silent. When you opened your eyes, that you didn't even realize were closed, you saw Ram cleaning your glass. 

"Well, how was it?" She asked, no longer upset. Or at least not showing it. 

"That was... like anything I've ever experienced." You murmured, still a little numb. Ram chuckled. 

"Yep, that's the goal." Ram put the glass in the sink then turned to you. "I don't want to sound mean or anything, but you might wanna get going." Ram took off her watch and showed you the time. 3:47 in the morning. Crap. You had work in less than three hours. You almost shot out of the tavern when Ram grabbed your shoulders. Forcing you to look into her dark eyes. "Listen, do not lose that coin, no matter what. And also don't come here during the day, that might attract unwanted attention." She said with a bit of an evil smirk, you quickly nodded then bolted out the door, not bothering to say goodbye to Arrow. 

You shot into your car and bolted to your apartment. You knew you shouldn't have stopped there tonight. But you got so many answers and new questions, along with this heavy coin. What could it all mean? Whatever, that wasn't your biggest problem at the moment. You got clothes out to change into when you wake up and immediately crawled into bed. Not bothering to change clothes, brush your teeth, or even take off your shoes. You passed out as soon as your head hit the pillow. 

**Back at the tavern**

"Things are changing, drastically." Ram mumbled as she cleaned up the bar. All the patrons had left for the night, including the band. "And I don't think I like how it's changing. But, only time can tell... Who are you, (Y/n)? And what troubles have you brought to us?"


	4. Hello

Why is life so cruel to the working class? You swear, there's no time for fun in your life without consequences. You groaned and rested your head against a wall at your work place. You were unbelievably tired. You knew you would regret going to the tavern, you knew you would, and you did regret it... to an extent. You rummaged around in your pocket, sliding your fingers over the now familiar coin. Why oh why did they want you to carry this around? 

"Since when are you the type to go around and party so late?" A friendly voice asks from behind you. 

You lift your head to see your acquaintance and coworker, Michael. He was very chill and sweet. A total lady killer, especially since he visited the gym a few days a week. He was tall and lean, slightly muscular but certainly no body builder. He was a little tan from working his second job in construction. His warm amber eyes could trap nearly any woman on the spot without even trying. The messy, dark brown mop atop his head that he called hair almost made him look disorganized. But he was anything but a slob. 

"You know I don't party, Michael." You mumble. Again putting your forehead to the cool wall. 

"Then what on earth were you doing last night to be this tired? I've never seen you be like this." He walked over to a fridge and grabbed a bottle of water before setting down in a chair. You were both in the break room of your work place. He was actually on break while you were kind of just hiding from your boss and responsibilities. 

"I don't need to tell you." You answer him, deciding to take a chair beside him. 

"You're right, you don't need to. I just thought it was odd to see you so tired. Didn't you say yourself that you don't have much of a life? No offense, your words not mine." 

"Well unfortunately, I found one." You answered, trying not to be disrespectful. You rest your head on the table, which was thankfully cooler than the wall. 

"Well, do yourself a favor and head to bed as soon as you get home tonight. That is, as long as you don't pass out on the job." Michael joked before leaving the break room. 

You sighed and begrudgingly got up from your seat. If you truly were trying to evade your boss, then doing work was the best way to get it done... Not before brewing yourself a quick cup of coffee. 

You survived through the remainder of the day with an unhealthy amount of coffee and repeatedly splashing cold water on your face. Your coworker gave you funny looks, but you just ignored them. The bags under your eyes already told half of the story anyway. You nearly cried out in tears of joy when one of your closer coworkers took pity on you and offered to take over for you so you could leave an hour early. 

You took your drive home slowly and smoothly, not wanting to actually rear-end someone and have another problem on your plate. When you crawled into your apartment building you trudged over to the too slow elevators. The stairs were so much faster, but you just didn't have the energy. When one of the moving boxes finally got to you, you crawled in and selected your floor. You didn't realize you fell asleep until the elevator suddenly stopped moving. 

When you were unlocking your door, you heard one of your neighbors open their door. Only to then hear a gasp and have the door slam shut. What, did something happen or did you really look that bad? You sighed and walked into your small apartment. You kicked off your shoes at the front door and fell into bed. It took no more than a second for the darkness to accept you in its embrace. 

You awoke several hours lately, 1:12 in the morning, to be exact, feeling like a million bucks. It's incredible how much a little sleep could do for you. You jumped out of bed and skipped into the shower. You knew you should have stayed in bed, for the sake of your sleep schedule, but you just felt great. A nice jog sounded excellent right about now. You knew where your feet were going to take you, but oh well. Maybe you can finally get rid of this coin now. Speaking of the coin... 

Ram told you that you had to have this coin on you at all times, showers were not an exception. So bathing while constantly holding the coin was obnoxious, especially when you tried to wash your hair. You swear, this little nuisance better pay off soon. 

Once nice and clean, you get out of the shower and dry off yourself and the coin. You grab a pair of exercise the gear, grab your phone, wallet, and keys, pocket the coin, and then leave your apartment after making sure it was locked. You nearly jump down the stairs and out of the lobby into the brisk night air. Damn, it felt great tonight. With a stupid smile on your face, you run towards the tavern. 

You pass no one or anything of interest on your journey. To your luck, you didn't accidentally inhale a fly as you ran past the several alleyways. You stopped and took a moment for yourself when you arrived at the one specific alleyway. 

As always, the silver lighting kindly greets you as you walk into the monochrome walls. Arrow greeted you with a bow and a smile upon his face. You showed him your card that you kept in your wallet and he let you through. There seemed to be more patrons tonight, chatting quietly amongst friends or family as they drank colorful drinks. Some of the patrons were already knocked out with their glasses empty. As usual, Ram was behind the counter, cleaning a few glasses. 

"Someone's in a good mood." She states as you take your now usual seat behind the bar. "Something special happen?" She asks as she stacks the clean glasses. 

"Not really, just got off of work early and finally got some sleep." You murmur, smiling a little stupidly. 

"Well, you know, you'd get more rest if you didn't come around here so often." 

"You guys would go out of business without me." You jest, this makes Ram chuckle. 

"Well then, since apparently the tavern just can't survive without you, you better order something." Ram jokes with a snicker. 

"I will. But first, can I get rid of this coin now?" You ask a little quietly, holding the coin in your pocket. 

"You still have that on you?" She asks, and you nod. She gives you a small smile. "Yes, hand it to me." 

You remove the heavy coin from your pocket and hand it to the bartender. She pulls a black handkerchief from her uniform and wraps the coin in it before putting it behind the counter. She then hands you a menu. 

"Do you have anything planned for tomorrow? Or, really, later today." She asks you as you skim the menu. 

"Nothing besides work, why?" 

"Call in sick." 

"Why?" You ask looking up at her. Her expression gives nothing away. 

"Well, unless you want to show up at work late and sleep deprived, I suggest you call in sick." She says, resting her head on her arms. 

"What's with all the secrecy..." You mumble under your breath as you text your boss saying you wouldn't be coming in due to illness. Hopefully with it being so early in the morning and the fact that you were dying earlier today, but now really yesterday, he'd take pity on you. 

"Now then, with that out of the way. Your order?" Ram asks as she pulls out a notepad and a fountain pen from the side. 

"Oh, yeah. I think I'll have a..." 

**...**

Hours have passed since your hallucination had ended. The jazz band tonight had already left, and waiters and waitresses were shooing out the remaining patrons. All of them except you. The staff then went into a private room in the back and walked out looking like normal people, no longer wearing their uniforms. You wonder why Ram wanted you to stay so late. She said the sun was rising, so that meant it was somewhere between six or seven in the morning. Arrow had come by and said goodbye to you and Ram. The two shook friends before Ram went behind the counter and gave him a wad of cash. "Usual payment," she said, before he walked off. 

"How much money was that!?" You almost yelled at Ram as Arrow locked the door and left. 

"It looks like a lot now, don't it?" She asks, avoiding your question. "But that's not important right now. I need you to do something for me." 

"Like what?" You ask, feeling a little suspicious. 

"You're going to have to hold this, and wear this." She picks up the coin from behind the counter. She unfolds it from the handkerchief then hands it back to you. She then unfolds the handkerchief to reveal it as a black, silken blindfold. You suddenly become unconformable. 

"I'm not putting that on." You firmly state. 

Ram shrugs. "Then you can leave. The door's right over there. I'll unlock it for ya. But just know this is your one and only chance, we're not giving you another one." 

"'We're'? As in, we are?" 

"You said you wanted to meet the others, yes?" She asks, becoming bored of waiting around. 

You let out a frustrated sigh. You already came this far, why stop now? "Alright, I'll wear it." You mumble as you put the coin back in your pocket. 

Ram walks out from behind the counter and stands behind you. You feel the black silk wrap around your eyes as you feel the knot from the ends of the blindfold become tied. You feel air move in front of your face, probably Ram testing if you can see through the fabric or not. When there's no reaction from you, you hear her take a few steps away from you. 

"You stay right there. I have to do some things first. Do not leave that spot or take off that blindfold, understand?" She asks, her voice stern, demanding. 

You give a quick nod before you hear her walk off somewhere. You can't see anything through the blindfold. Well, if you stare right at one of the lights, you can see it's silver light somewhat pierce through the black fabric. But soon, all the lights flash out. You assume Ram turned them off as you hear her footsteps approach you again. You hear her walk behind the bar, followed by several sounds of clinking bottles. When the clinking ceases, you hear some very faint beeps along what sounds to be like a scanner. If your hearing wasn't enhanced from your loss of vision, you would have never heard any of it. Ram walks back over to you. 

"Are you ready to go?" She asks from your right. You nod. You're not sure how, but she sees it. "Good, come with me. Stay close, and don't let go." She grabs your hand as you slide out from your bar stool. 

You map out the tavern as you two began to walk. You start at the bar where you were sitting, and if you're right, Ram is currently taking you behind the bar. You guys then take a ninety degree turn to the right. But that can't be right. If your map is correct, there would be a wall here. The wall that contains all the bottles full of alcohol. Where are you going? 

"Careful, there are some steps here. I'll guide you, just be careful." 

The hand that was once in her grip was placed on a smooth rail. She tells you to lift your foot, then bring it back down onto the first step. This process goes on for a while as Ram slowly takes you up the stairs. Thankfully, you didn't fall or stumble. She retakes your hand when you get to the top. 

You hear a very quick scan before an audible click. The wall in front of you groans as light somehow returns to your vision. Ram walks you into the light then stops a few steps in. The wall, which is now behind you, groans again. Only when the groaning stops do you hear Ram walk behind you again. 

"Are you ready, (C/n)?" She asks from behind you. 

"I suppose." You mumble nervously, scared of what you've gotten yourself into. 

Suddenly, without warning, the blindfold is whipped off of your face. At first, you're blinded from the bright lights of the room, but soon you adjust. Not counting Ram and yourself, you are in a room with four other people. Bright lights shine down from the ceiling. The tiled floors are polished and well maintenance. There are a few vending machines along the walls, boasting colorful sodas and snacks. A little kitchen area was in the corner that contained a small fridge and a microwave. In the center of the room was a very large table with some chairs. A large map of the world hung on the back wall. The room wasn't very decorated. 

The other four people in the room were across you and Ram, behind the table. Three sat while one stood. The one standing had an all too familiar red flowing dress with gorgeous black hair. She wore little make-up around her eyes while her lips were blood red. Dark brown eyes stared down into your soul, already judging you from the inside out. It took all your power not to shiver or cower from the woman's gaze. 

Thankfully, the next face was more friendly. That is, if you could even call it a face. The slim man in the black and yellow suit was wearing a mask over his features. it was completely white, covering his entire face. Two, small black holes were where the eyes should be. He drummed his fingers on the table, also seeming to judge you. But in a much different way from the woman standing above him. Though you couldn't see his face, you sensed he was smiling warmly under the mask. 

Besides the skinny man was another man with his feet lazily kicked up on the table. He clicked and typed away on his laptop that was resting in his lap. He had yet to notice your arrival. This was the man with the brown leather jacket. It looked even more comfortable up close. His light brown hair was surprisingly kept nice and trimmed compared to what seems to be a lazy or laid back personality. Forest green eyes glossed over the screen of the laptop as he scanned the screen for what must be information of some sort. 

The last person was the fat man in the over flashy green suit. A messy black afro rested on his head as he looked at you with greedy, dark eyes. He seemed pale, not as bad as Ram, but he still needed some sunlight. His fat fingers danced across the table, probably scheming how he could squeeze every penny out of you, even though the tavern did not charge drinks. 

"Keep it etiquette," Ram whispered into your ear before leaving you to join her colleagues. 

You stared awkwardly at them, and they stared back, minus the man on the laptop. There wasn't an available chair, so there's nothing else you could do but stand there. You swallowed harshly, your saliva doing nothing to moisten your parched throat. You tried to open your mouth, to announce who you were and why you were here. Even though you didn't know why you were here. 

Thankfully, you didn't have too. The woman in the long dress began to walk up to you. The _click click_ of her purple hears echoing through out the dead silent room. Her smile was kind, but her eyes were sinister. You wanted to slink back under her gaze. To find another way back to the comfortable monochrome walls of the tavern. But you didn't. You stayed put as she walked right up to you. She held out her hand to you in a kind greeting. You were surprised she didn't wear any gloves, she seemed like the type. You shakily took her hand and shook it, praying she wouldn't notice how sweaty your palms were. 

"It's nice to finally meet you, (Y/n)," she says in a smooth, sultry voice. "R has talked about you in great detail. Take a seat, let's get to know each other." 

With that, Ram got up and rushed into a doorway on one of the far walls, she returns with a leather rolling chair. It didn't look as nice compared to the others, but you weren't going to turn down the gesture. You tried to wheel over to Ram, the one person in this room you at least somewhat knew, but the woman put you between her and the man in the black and gold suit. 

"It's finally nice to meet you." The man says, standing up and bowing politely. "I am S. The woman you met is U. The tech-head who won't get off his damn technology is T. And then in the green suit is Q." He leans down to your ear. "Be a little careful of him while you're here." He mumbles before standing back up. "And you already know R." 

The fat man, Q, waves at you. It is not a very comfortable wave. You look at Ram, but she avoids your eyes. She doesn't want to be here any more than you do, yet you are the one that asked for this. 

You take a deep breath and open your mouth to give your own greeting. You're about to announce your name when you are rudely interrupted by Q. 

"Oh, there is no need for that, my dear!" He boasts loudly, somehow knowing what you were going to say. "We already know everything about you that we need to know! But, as of why you are here." His eyes somehow grow darker as he looks at you with a leer. "Why did you wish to come here? What do you want with us?" 


End file.
